Post Office Department – Stanczyk’s Mailbag

by C. Michael Eliasz-Solomon

From the Post Office Department

From my Mail Bag …

FROM:MaryAnne
MaryAnne asked about “readability” of the blog,

REPLY:

The format of the blog/website is due to wordpress (my blogging software and website provider). Their programs/widgets dictate the “style” which I have very little control over. I will try and write using a bigger “format” (ex. Heading 4 instead of paragraph). I cannot write in all bold as that will actually make things harder to read for more people.

But I suspect the problem is really your browser. Fortunately, most browsers now allow a “zoom” feature. I can give you help with either Internet Explorer or Firefox(Mozilla) browsers.

In Internet Explorer (popular in Windows computers), you would hit ‘Alt-X’. That is press and hold the ‘Alt’ key next to spacebar, and while still holding down the ‘Alt’ key press ‘x’. Hence Alt-x. This will bring up a “contextual” menu near the top of your browser window. “Zoom” is the third choice. It will bring up a list of zoom-levels. I recommend 125% or 150% for you. That should improve the readability for you.

In Firefox, you press “Ctrl-Shift-+” to zoom in and “Ctrl–” That is Control-plus to zoom in and Control-minus to zoom out. As with the “Alt” key, the “Ctrl” key must be pressed and held down while you type the other key(s).

Let me know if you use another browser. I do have Safari for Windows (sadly Stanczyk is making do with a Windows computer instead of his beloved MAC).

If the “zoom” feature improves your ability to read my blog, then I will not make any changes. You may also want to have someone to adjust the contrast/color on your monitor for you too. I know I had to really tinker with these Windows computers to get the colors to give me the proper contrast. This was something I took for granted in the MAC world.

Stanczyk too has “very aged” eyes from years of working on computers. Thanks MaryAnne!

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FROM:Jonathan

Jonathan asked about Pacanów and Kłoda, his Pytko family, and how hard it is to read “Old Russian”.

REPLY:

Jonathan, thanks for writing. As for emails – you can send me A church record and I will be happy to read it for you and send you a translation of the “Old Russian” (pre-1918 reforms). You can write to me at: Stanczyk@eliasz.com . OK? Any pictures you send me via email may or may not be used in the blog as part of the answer [fair use].

As for Pacanów, the LDS have four microfilm of the Pacanów(Busko-Zdroj) in Kielce(old woj.). There are a few Kłoda villages. Is yours the one near Radom? That Kłoda has parish of Magnuszew (no microfilm for this parish). Here are the four microfilm (1875-1884) for Pacanów(Busko-Zdroj):

3 Comments to “Post Office Department – Stanczyk’s Mailbag”

Thank You for trying to resolve my problem in such a detailed manner, with the intention of being helpful to me, as a subscriber I will be the first to admit that ” I Just don’t get Computer Technology”. My husband & I just had a “Detailed Discussion” regarding my lack of intelligence and understanding in this area!
Apparently, I have been totally confused about the daily “E-Mails” that you send to me. I mistakenly thought/assumed these were taking me to your “Website”. I never did click on anything-because what appeared to be the daily Message was right there in front of me! It was these daily “E-mails” that have the pale gray background and the thin light color print, that I was having a problem viewing.

My Husband has informed me that if I “Click” on the Title subject line in the body of the daily E-mail–I will miraculously be transported to your Website!!!!! And guess what, if I am on your website, I do have a “Viewing Zoom Control ” that will increase the size up to 400%” right there on the right side of my screen!!!. However, when I am on your “WEBSITE” the print and font are sufficiently Large enough for me to be able to read, without any adjustment at all!

My problem has been resolved, my marriage is still intact and I will still be the first to admit that “I Just don’t get Computer Technology” and my abilities are quite limited in this area. And now, I realize why I had not seen the ” The Curt Jester” in quite awhile!
Thanks for the work you do and share,
MaryAnne

Jonathan. Thanks for the new email with the church records. Your map link was helpful and I see your ancestral village.

A few quick observations:
(1) Rytwiany is the parish of record for your Kloda. And it is also true that this parish was not filmed by the LDS.
(2) Your area has a village named Pacanowka. This is not my ancestral village(Pacanow) which is a bit south-west of Olesnica — but still close to your villages.
(3) I noticed your last name of Bydlak and could not help but notice a nearby village named Bydlowa. Perhaps your ancestors were originally from Bydlowa (hence Bydlak).

The images you sent me are difficult to read. Do you have better? I noticed on Aniela’s death record that her parents were listed as you surmised: Jozef & Apolonia Soskanowski[possibly Suchanowski] from Szczeka (on the map link you sent me). This poses the question as why “z Bielska” on Feliks’ birth [since everyone is a Pytko/Pytka]. Perhaps Aniela was married twice. Aniela was already a widow when she died and the survivors listed are her children: [The image is poor] I believe the names are [sons, then daughters]:
Martial [sp?], Franciszek, Feliks, Wilbak[sp?] and Eleonora and Julianna. In most cases the left most is the eldest and the rightmost is youngest. Since the sexes are separated that ordering would be repeated within each sex and we cannot tell the relative ages of the boys to the girls as a result.

You are lucky that the principal names(not the survivors) are written in Russian then followed by Polish in slashes, ex. Jakob Kot (the first witness) who was also a witness on Feliks’ birth.

Finally, the name you have as Lampart is Lamparl (slashed l). I do see the name written as Pytkow(grammar plural), but I am thinking either Pytko as you have or Pytka. For example in her parents in the slashes you see ‘Soskanowskich’.

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In my family I see a family name: Zwolski (female Zwolska), family name: Zwolskich [plural]. You will see female endings:
owna [unmarried woman] owa[married woman.